Toll free phone numbers, such as ones starting with 1-800, 1-877, 1-866, etc., are used by everyone to get help or resolve issues with various services. These services include, but are not limited to, personal insurance, credit cards, utilities, customer services, shopping, voice-enabled services, etc. Most services provide a unique toll-free number that can be used to get help for that service. Consumers struggle to keep track of these numbers and are constantly searching for them on the Internet, on consumer service cards (insurance, credit cards, back cards, etc.), or by calling directory assistance. Using a manual or electronic directory of toll free numbers involves looking up the number and placing the call manually, through a wired or wireless phone. Prior art, such as techniques for Personalized Telephone Directory and Calling Service (PTDS), provides voice-enabled dialing, as a convenience, but this requires storing all the toll free numbers on a phone set. Voice-enabled dialing has an additional drawback in that the voice recognition often fails to detect speech patterns correctly, forcing the user to additional steps to place a call.
A proper technique is needed to consolidate all the phone numbers used by an individual. The solution should also be able to store any private or confidential information, such as insurance policy numbers, credit card numbers, utility bills account numbers, etc., required by the service to complete a transaction when the call is placed. The solution should automatically place the call for the user using the stored phone numbers. The user should be able to use his/her personal information stored along with the phone number when the call is placed between the user and the service. The solution is not limited to toll free numbers and includes local numbers, long distance numbers, and international phone numbers.